President of Republic Presents Decoration to 204th Air Force Brigade
Saturday, 28.6.2025 | Culture and traditions
Today, the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, presented the Vidovdan decoration - Order of Merits for Defence and Security, 1st Class, to the 204th Air Force Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces, at a ceremony held in the Palace of Serbia.
On the occasion of Vidovdan, the President of the Republic also conferred decorations to other deserving individuals and institutions, and the award ceremony was attended by the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.
In his address to the laureates, President Vučić emphasized that the today’s symbolism does not only speak of martyrdom, suffering, defeats, heroism, mistakes or victories, but, more than that, it refers to the fundamental question - what you are ready to do for your country, what you want to give it and how much you love it.
— The answers to these questions constitute our entire history. When we knew them, we won, when we were confused, when we wandered in an answer — we lost, often heroically, but we lost. Therefore, there is no more important duty for me today than to recognize together, single out and reward all those who not only knew the answer, but also announced it loudly, regardless of the dangers they were exposed to. This is significant because we live at a time when there are many people who would like Serbia to win, but also those who want to defeat Serbia. Those people come externally, some who, I believe, serve without understanding and who wish to take something from their country. There are people who would like Serbia to advance and those who want Serbia to stop, those who dream of its achievement and those whose only dream is its loss of any kind — said President Vučić.
He emphasized that he believes that we will now know how to choose the right path that has nothing to do with ideologies, political parties, or even government, but ”it only has to do with our future, with the future of our children, with what we dream of, what we wish for them.”
— For me, this Vidovdan is a special, beautiful day, and our people have always said that everything is seen on Vidovdan. You can see who is brave and who is wise, who does so much for their country and who does everything the opposite. Vidovdan is more important to us, Serbs, than anything else, than any other holiday. Vidovdan is woven into our conception, our development, progress, our troubles, suffering and rising again like a Phoenix from the ashes, to a situation today in which Serbia lives incomparably better than it has ever lived before. It is just that we Serbs never like to admit it — emphasized the President of Serbia, adding that it is time to ”celebrate life, to start celebrating victories and to continue winning.”
The President of the Republic particularly highlighted the great responsibility of being presented with the Order of our country.
— I am sure that your responsibility, seriousness, and dedication will be even greater, but at the same time they will be a sign of the way for all those younger people who will come after you — said President Vučić and, along with his congratulations, thanked the laureates for everything they have done for Serbia.
The Order for above-average, exemplary and honourable performance of duties and tasks in the fields of defence and security, which was awarded to the 204th Air Force Brigade, was received by its Commander, Brigadier General Milan Elenkov, who emphasized the importance of the award for his unit.
— The order represents a confirmation and an obligation – the confirmation that the 204th Air Force Brigade did its job well and the recognition also obliges future generations to stay on that path and that the number one priority in our work has to be the defence of the state — said General Elenkov.
Today’s ceremony was attended by representatives of the state institutions of Serbia, the Republic of Srpska, Montenegro, North Macedonia and other officials.
